October 8, 2024

OEC Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Biden-Harris Administration issued the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The rule will require most drinking water systems to replace 100% of their lead water service lines within ten years. It will also prohibit the dangerous practice of partial replacement of lead service lines, which can temporarily elevate levels of lead in the water. 

This rule is supported by $2.6 billion in newly available funding (to be administered through the drinking water state revolving loan funds) and $35 million in competitive grant funding to support lead pipe inventory and replacement projects. Lead line replacement funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law now totals over $26 billion over five years.

This rule will better protect the health of Ohioans by finally getting the lead out of the system. Experts agree there is no safe level of lead in the human body and drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person’s exposure to lead. Exposure to lead, even at low levels, can cause impaired brain development and lower IQs in children, and adults are more likely to experience increased risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and kidney and nervous system problems.

The OEC recently released a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating that replacing all of Ohio’s estimated lead water service lines will result in fewer deaths, better physical and mental health outcomes, less water waste, and significant economic benefits for Ohioans and their communities. The complete replacement of lead water pipes that carry water into Ohioans’ homes and buildings will grow Ohio’s economy between $145 and $185 billion over the next 15 years.

 

The following quote can be attributed, in whole or in part, to Annalisa Rocca, Drinking Water Manager for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC):

“We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking aggressive action to get the lead out of our drinking water. Ohio is ranked third in the nation for its number of lead water service lines, with an estimated 745,000 lead lines. This much needed final rule will speed up the timeline for water systems to replace lead lines, while immediately improving the safety of Ohioans drinking water by improving water sampling as well as requiring more frequent and proactive communication to communities about lead.”

 

Key provisions to the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements: 

• Requires 100% full lead pipe replacement in 10 years for the majority of water systems. A minority of water systems will have a slightly extended timeline for lead service line replacement due to the high proportion of legacy lead lines within their systems. (For a detailed summary of the timelines, please visit this blog by the Environmental Policy Innovation Center.) 
• Requires water systems to identify all lines that are currently made with unknown materials within lead pipe inventories, and to make plans available to the public and update those plans annually. 
• Requires water systems to create replacement plans and make them available to the public to More stringent sampling requirements when testing for lead in the water supply.
• The lead action level will be lowered from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb, leading to quicker action and notification of the public when lead is detected in the drinking water since no amount of lead in our drinking water is safe.
• Additional requirements for more public outreach and notification of lead levels in a community’s drinking water. 
• A requirement to make filters available to all consumers with elevated lead levels in their drinking water.

 

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The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) protects the environment and health of all Ohio communities through legal and policy advocacy, decision-maker accountability, and civic engagement. For media inquiries, please contact ebacha<at>theoec.org.